Triple chance slot machine game

Abstract

Concepts for playing slot machine games, with the player having multiple opportunities to obtain a winning hand. The slot machine deals a first hand, and the first hand is evaluated against a first Table of Values. If no winning combination is obtained, the slot machine deals a second hand, and the second hand is evaluated against the first Table of Values. If still no winning combination is obtained, the slot machine deals a third hand, and the third hand is evaluated against the first Table of Values. If no winning combination is obtained, the player can hold some elements from the third hand and the slot machine deals additional elements to complete a fourth hand. The fourth hand is evaluated against a second Table of Values. Players with a winning combination are paid in accordance with a selected ranking winning combination from the appropriate Table of Values.

1 . Method of conducting a slot machine game, comprising 
 (A) providing a set of contest elements for said game in which said set includes a plurality of contest elements having a surface area with playing indicia on said surface area;    (B) designating a version of a showdown card game in the poker family to be utilized in play of a round of the slot machine game;    (C) determining the number of slots to be played by each participant of the game;    (D) displaying a predetermined number of contest elements to each participant, for each slot being played, according to the version of the game;    (E) evaluating the combination of elements in each slot;    (F) if the combination of elements is not a winning combination according to a first Table of Values, repeating steps (D) through (F) a predetermined number of times, or until a winning combination is obtained; and    (G) after said predetermined number of times, if no winning combination is obtained, 
 (i) permitting each participant to identify one slot for further play, if more than one slot is being played,  
 (ii) permitting each participant to selectively reject at least one but not all elements obtained in the identified slot;  
 (iii) distributing additional elements to each participant corresponding to the number of elements, rejected in step (ii), above; and  
 (iv) evaluating the combination of elements held by each participant against a second Table of Values.  
   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (H) permitting a participant to make a wager to participate when the version of the game to be played has been designated, and    (I) paying such participant a preestablished amount, based on the amount of such wager, if a slot of such participant evaluated in step (E) comprises a predetermined winning combination of elements according to said first Table of Values, or    (J) paying such participant a preestablished amount, based on the amount of such wager, if a slot of such participant evaluated in step (G) comprises a predetermined winning combination of elements according to said second Table of Values.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , in which such predetermined winning combinations are based on an accepted standard for poker hand rankings.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said combinations are determined for five card poker hands.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , in which a separate deck is used for each said five-card poker hand.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , in which a separate deck is used each time steps (D) through (F) are repeated.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said game is played on a device selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) electronic video game machines;    b) computers;    c) hand-held mechanical devices; and    d) hand-held video devices.    
   
   
       8 . A slot machine comprising: 
 (A) game initiating means to initiate a game on the machine;    (B) display means disposed to display the game being played on the machine wherein said display means is arranged to display a plurality of contest elements;    (C) game control means responsive to the initiating means to control the playing of the game, wherein the control means 
 (i) causes the display means to display a first combination of contest elements, wherein the number of elements in such first combination corresponds to a selected game of chance, said control means evaluates said first combination of contest elements to determine if a winning combination is displayed, and awards a prize to a player in the event that said first combination matches a winning combination based on a first Table of Values;  
 (ii) if said first combination of contest elements is not a winning combination based on said first Table of Values, said control means causes said display means to display a second combination of contest elements, wherein the number of elements in such second combination corresponds to the number of elements in said first combination of elements, said control means evaluates said second combination of contest elements to determine if a winning combination is displayed, and awards a prize to said player in the event that said second combination matches a winning combination based on said first Table of Values; and  
 (iii) if no winning combination has been obtained, said control means causes said display means to display additional combinations of elements until a predetermined number of non-winning combinations has been played; and  
   (D) element selection means responsive to the control means, wherein 
 (i) said control means permits a player to select contest elements to hold at least one but not all contest element, and to reject selected elements from the last combination;  
 (ii) said control means causes said display means to display a number of additional contest elements, wherein the number of additional elements corresponds to the number of elements rejected; and  
 (iii) said control means compares the combination of contest elements held and the additional contest elements to determine if a winning combination is displayed, and awards a prize to the player in the event that said combination of contest elements matches a winning combination according to a second Table of Values.  
   
   
   
       9 . The slot machine of  claim 8 , further comprising means for a player to wager on the displayed combination of elements.  
   
   
       10 . The slot machine of  claim 8 , wherein the display means comprises a touch sensitive video screen and the player selects indicia by touching areas of the screen on which the selected indicia are displayed.  
   
   
       11 . The slot machine of  claim 8 , including buttons indicating grid reference on the display such that indicia positions may be selected by the player pressing buttons.  
   
   
       12 . The slot machine of  claim 8  wherein the display is a mechanical or electromechanical device.  
   
   
       13 . An electronic system for playing a slot machine game having a plurality of play options wherein a win or a loss is determined after each play of the game, the system comprising: 
 (A) a game enclosure, the enclosure including a player interface means for at least one player to physically interact with the system;    (B) bet value entry means for generating a bet value signal to the system, the bet value signal representing an amount of a bet placed by said player;    (C) player display means arranged to display a plurality of contest elements for visually indicating to the player said contest elements having indicia thereon;    (D) game initiating means to initiate a game on the machine;    (E) processor means; and    (F) game control means responsive to the initiating means and the processor means to control the playing of the game, wherein the control means 
 (i) causes the display means to display a first combination of contest elements, wherein the number of elements in such first combination corresponds to a selected game of chance, said processor means evaluates said first combination of contest elements to determine if a winning combination is displayed, and said game control means awards a prize to a player in the event that said first combination matches a winning combination based on a first Table of Values;  
 (ii) if said first combination of contest elements is not a winning combination based on said first Table of Values, said control means causes said display means to display a second combination of contest elements, wherein the number of elements in such second combination corresponds to the number of elements in said first combination of elements, said processor means evaluates said second combination of contest elements to determine if a winning combination is displayed, and said control means awards a prize to said player in the event that said second combination matches a winning combination based on said first Table of Values; and  
 (iii) if no winning combination has been obtained, said control means causes said display means to display additional combinations of elements until a predetermined number of non-winning combinations has been played; and  
   (G) element selection means responsive to the control means, wherein 
 (i) said control means permits a player to select contest elements to hold at least one but not all contest element, and to reject selected elements from the last combination;  
 (ii) said control means causes said display means to display a number of additional contest elements, wherein the number of additional elements corresponds to the number of elements rejected;  
 (iii) said processor means compares the combination of contest elements held and the additional contest elements to determine if a winning combination is displayed, and said control means awards a prize to the player in the event that said combination of contest elements matches a winning combination according to a second Table of Values; wherein  
   (H) the processor means is electrically connected to the player display means, to the player selection means, to the bet value entry means, and to the game control means.